Heat-sealed gusset pocket



Nov. 7, 1961 e. MARKUS ET AL HEAT-SEALED GUSSET POCKET 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Jan. 14, 1960 INVENTORS 6601965 Mme/ 05 BY MA TIN SIEGEL Nov. 7,1961 G. MARKUS ET AL HEAT-SEALED GUSSET POCKET Filed Jan. 14, 1960 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Illlllllzy/ll/rltlllr ifiil.

INVENTORS Geoqsc Mae/ 05 BY Mm \sl'Gt'l,

United States Patent This invention relates: to wallets or billfolds ofthe type which are provided with auxiliary gusset pockets.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a wallet orbillfold, of the above indicated type, I

made partly or entirely of non-heat-sealable material, for example,leather, which has the gussets of the auxiliary pocket secured to a wallof the wallet or billfold with heat-sealed means.

A further object is to provide a wallet or billfold hav- I log anauxiliary gusset pocket made of non-heat-sealable material with thegussets of the pocket secured to the wallet with heat-sealed means,other parts of the wallet being made partly'or entirely of materialwhich is also non heat-sealable.

Another object of this invention is to facilitate the manufacture ofwallets of the gusset pocket type by providing a construction whichenables the gusset pocket to beattached to the wallet by simple andconvenient assem bly and Securing operations.

Another object is generally to provide a wallet or billfold of the aboveindicated type having improved means for securing the gussets of theauxiliary pocket to a wall of the billfold, said billfold being made ofheatsealable material or non-heat-sealable material or a combination ofboth.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of this inventionwill be fully understood from the following description considered inconnection with the accompanying illustrative drawings of the presentlypreferred embodiment of this invention.

In the drawings:

FIG.1 is a view of the inner side of a foldable wallet or billfold inits open or unfolded condition;

FIG. 2. is a perspective view of part of the billfold showing theauxiliary gusset pocket in an open and expanded condition;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a die cut blank of a pocket mlsctlnber in flatcondition before it is attached to the bill- FIG. 4 is a perspectiverear view of part of the billfold, with parts omitted, illustrating anintermediate step in securing the auxiliary gusset pocket to a wallmember of the billfold;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, with portions cut away, showing thegusset pocket secured to the wall member of the billfold;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 2, on a slightlylarger scale;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 2, on a slightlylarger scale;

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of part of a billfold, inaccordance with another embodiment of the invention, illustrating theparts in a disassembled condition;

FIG. 9' is a perspective view similar to FIG. 8 with the parts in anintermediate condition of assembly;

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 9, with the parts shown in theirassembled condition; and

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken on line 11-11 of FIG. 10.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the billfold 10 may be of anyusual or conventional construction and includes the main billcompartment defined by the outer wall 12 and the inner wall 14 whichincludes a "ice folded over wall 16, the bills being disposed betweensaid folded over wall 16 and outer wall 12. A conven tional compartment18 is provided between folded over wall 16 and inner wall 14 and part ofsaid inner wall 14 constitutes a front wall member 20 for compartment18., to which is secured an'auxiliary gusset pocket 22 formed from ablank 22A, illustrated in FIG. 3.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1-7, thebillfold is made partly of heat-scalable material and partly ofnon-heat-sealable material, although it will be understood that the.billfold may be made entirely of heat-scalable material or materialcoated with a heat-sealable material. More particularly, the outer wall.12, the gusset pocket 22, and the foldable closure member or flap 24are made from a non-heat-sealable material, for example leather, whichenhancesthe appearance of the billfold and provides better wearingmaterial for those parts of the billfold subject to excessive wear. Theremaining parts of the billfold, including the front wall member 20 ofthe compartment, are made of heat-sealable material, for example,.vinylsheet plastic'material or cloth or paper having on one surface thereof acoating of vinyl plastic or other heat-scalable material. As will beclearly seen hereinafter, the heat scalable surface of wall member 20 isused for securing the pocket 22 to said wall member with heat-sealedmeans. a a

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the blank 22A for forming the auxiliary gussetpocket 22 includes the part 26 which constitutes the front wall of thepocket and the foldable parts 2'8, 30 at-each side edge of said frontwall to provide the gussets 32 of the pocket, as best shown in FIGS. 2and 5.

The blank 22A is also provided with the integral end parts 34 which havetongue extensions 36 with end slits 38. It will be understood that theblank 22A is formed in one integral piece, being die cut to the outlineillustrated by FIG. 3, or to any other suitable outline according tovariations which maybe made in the details of the form and constructionof the pocket pursuant to the present invention. Flap 24 and front wall26 of the pocket are preferably provided with companion releasablefasteners, here shown as snap fasteners 40 and 42', for releasablysecuring. said flap=24 in closed position.

The wall member 20 is provided with foldable end portions 44, as bestseen in FIGS. 4 and 5, each of said end portions being provided with aslit 46. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, to secure the pocket 22 to wallmember 20, the lower edge 48 of the front Wall 26 of the pocket issecured, by stitching 50, to the lower edge of wall member 20 and theextensions 36 of the pocket are inserted in the slits 46 of end portions44 and extend in over-lapping surface-to-surface contact with said endportions, at the rear surfaces thereof, as shown. The slits 38 providean interlock for the extensions 36 with the adjacent parts of endportions 44 at the slits 46, which will be readily understood. It willalso be noted that the extensions 36 are inserted in said slits 46 atthe front of wall member 20 while the end portions 44 are lying in theirflat unfolded positions. I

The end portions are folded over against the rear surface of wall member20 so that extensions 36 are disposed between said rear surface and saidfolded over end portions 44 with the heat-scalable surfaces of saidfolded over portions facing the rear or main Wall 12 of the billfold. Ifdesired, the folded over end portions may be temporarily secured intheirfolded condition by cementing the front surfaces thereof to the rearsurface of wall member 20, which need not be a heatsealable surface. Asheet of material or wall member 52, which is made of heat-scalablematerial or has a heat-scalable coated surface, for example a vinylplastic coating, is superimposed on the heat-sealable surfaces of saidfolded over end portions 44 and is heat-sealed to said end portions forsecuring said end portions in said folded over condition, whereby theextensions 36 are locked in position and the gusset end parts 34 of thepocket are secured to wall member 20, as best seen in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7.The flap 24 of the pocket may be secured to the upper edge of wailmember 20, as by stitching 54.

The manner in which the heat-sealing operation 'is accomplished isbelieved to be obvious to those skilled in the art. It may be noted thatthe operation is preferably accomplished while the main walls 12 and 14and wall 16 are in a'flat unfolded condition and a metal plate formingone electrode of the di-electric heat-sealing apparatus is inserted inpocket 22 after the extensions 36 are'inserted through the'slits 46 ofend portions 44. The opposite side of the 'fiat blank is positionedwithin a shallow metal tray which'constitutes the other electrode of thedi-eleotric heat-sealing apparatus so that the parts of the billfold arein position for the heat-sealing operation. A further detaileddescription of the heat-sealing operation is not considered necessaryasit does not, per se, form part of the invention apart'from theconstruction of the gusset pocket 22 and the heat-sealing operation forsecuring the pocket to wall member 20.

It will be understood, as mentioned above, that billfold may be madeentirely of heat-scalable material, for example paper 'orcloth coatedwith vinyl plastic. In such case the extensions 36 will not only belocked in position between folded over ,portions 44 and the rear surfaceof wall member 20, but also the heat-scalable surfaces of saidextensions 36 will "be heat-sealed to the heat-scalable surfaces of saidfolded over portions with which they are in surface'contact.

Referring now to FIGS. 8 through lltof the drawings, there is shownanother embodiment of .the invention wherein -a billfold 10A is..madeentirely of non-heat-sealable material, for example leather. ,InFIGr 8,the pocket 22 is shown secured. at'its lower edge to the front surfaceof-wall member 20, 'at'thelower edge thereof, by stitching 50,asprevi'ously described. Asheet of material or wall member 56, having amain portion .58, and foldable end portions 60, provided with slots 62is adhesively secured to the rear-surface of wall member 20 along thefront surface of portion 58. The extensions 36 of the gussets areinserted in slots 62, respectively, as best seen in FIG. 9, at the frontof wall member 20, and .the end portions 60 are folded over so that theheat-scalable surfaces :of said end portions '60 are insurface-to-surface contact with the heat-sealablesurface of portion 58,as best seen in FIGS. 10 and 11, with extensions 36 being disposedbetween the confronting heat-scalable surfaces of portion 58 and endportions 60. Said end portions 60are then heat=sealedto portion 58whereby extensions 36 are secured to wall member 56 and wall member 20.Thus it will be seen that portion 58 constitutes means heat-sealed tosaid folded over end portions 60 for retaining said end portions intheir folded over condition so thatpocket 22 is mounted ,on wall members.20 and 56 of compartment 18. If desired, an additional wall member'64may be superimposed on folded .wall member 56 and heat-sealed thereto,as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11.

The present application is related to our application Serial No.7811,930filed May 8, 1959, now Patent No. 2,962,071.

While we have shown and described the preferred embodiment' of ourinvention, 'it will be understood that the invention may be embodiedotherwise than as herein specifically illustrated or described, and thatcertain changes in the form and arrangement of parts and in the specificmanner of practicing the invention may ,be made without departing fromthe underlying idea or principles of this invention within the scope ofthe appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. In a wallet, billfold or the like, a compartment having awa1l.member, folded over end portions connected to said Wall member,each of said end portions having a slit and a surface of heat-scalablematerial, a pocket member having a front wall and end portionsprojecting through said slits for attachment of said pocket member tosaid wall member, and means heat-sealed to said heat-scalable materialfor securing said folded over end portions in said folded over conditionand thereby securing said end portions of said pocket member to saidwall member.

2. In a wallet, billfold or the like. a compartment having a wallmember, folded over end portions connected to said wall member, each ofsaid end portions having a slit and a surface of heat-sealable material,a pocket member having a front wall and end portions projecting throughsaid slits for attachment of said pocket member to said wall member, andmeans heatsealed to said heat-scalable material in overlappingsurface-to-surface contact-therewith for securing said folded over endportions-in said folded over condition and thereby securing said endportions of said pocket member to said wall member.

3. In a wallet, billfold or the like, a compartment having a wallcomprising two wall members in laminated relation, one of said wallmembers having a surface .of heat-scalable material and provided withfolded portions having slits, respectively, a pocket member mounted onsaid wall of the compartment and having portions .projecting throughsaid slits respectively, and overlapping the portions of said one'wallmember adjacent said slits, said folded portions of said one wall memberbeing heatsealed to said heat-scalable surface of said one wall memberfor securing said portionsof said pocket member in said overlappedrelation.

4. In a wallet, billfold or the'like, a compartment having a wall memberof non-heat-sealable material, a sheet of material adhesively secured tosaid wall member and having a surface of heat-scalable material andfolded over end portions provided with slits, respectively, a pocketmember having a front wall and end portions projecting through saidslits for-attachment of said pocket member to said wall member, saidfolded over end portions being heat-sealed to said sheet ofmaterial withsaid pocket member end portions disposed therebetween for securing thelatter to said wallmember. I

5. In a wallet, billfold or the like, a compartment having a wallcomprising two wall members in superimposed face-to-face relation andadhesively secured ,to each other in said superimposed relation, one ofsaid wall members having a surface of heat-scalable material andprovided with folded portions having slits, respectively, a pocketmember mounted on said wall of the compartment and having portionsprojecting through said slits, respectively, and overlapped the portionsof said one wall member adjacent said slits, said'folded portions ofsaid one wall member being heat-sealed to said heat-scalable surface ofsaid one wall member for securing said portions of said pocket member insaid overlappedrelation.

6. In a wallet, billfold or the like, a compartment having a wall memberand a gusset-pocket member mounted on said wall member, saidgusset-pocket member being made of leather and having gussetsterminating in end portions in overlapping relation .with portions ofsaid wall member and attached thereto, said wall portions havingheat-scalable surfaces, and means heatsealed to said surfaces of saidwall portions for securing said wall portions and said ends of thegussets in said attached and overlapping relation.

7. In a wallet, billfold or the like, a compartment having a wall-memberhaving a surface of heat-sealable material and having folded over endportions provided with slits, respectively, a pocketmember havingafrontwall and end portions of non-heat-sealable material projecting throughsaid slits for attachment of said pocket member to said wall member, andmeans heat-sealed to said heatscalable material for securing said foldedover end portions in said folded over condition and thereby securingsaid end portions of said pocket member to said wall member.

8. In a wallet, billfold or the like, a compartment having a wallcomprising two wall members, one of said Wall members having a surfaceof heat-sealable material and provided with folded portions havingslits, respectively, a pocket member mounted on said wall of thecompartment and having portions projecting through said slits,respectively, and overlapping the portions of said one wall memberadjacent said slits, the other of said wall members having a surfaceheat-sealed to said folded portions of said one wall member for securingsaid portions of said one wall member in said folded condition and forsecuring said portions of said pocket member in said slits and in saidoverlapped relation.

9. In a wallet, billfold or the like, a compartment having a wallmember, folded over end portions connected to said wall member, each ofsaid end portions having a slit and a surface of heat-scalable material,a pocket member having a front wall and end portions projecting throughsaid slits for attachment of said pocket member to said Wall member, andmeans heat-sealed to said heat-scalable material in overlappingsurface-to-surface cont-act therewith for securing said folded over endportions in said folded over condition and thereby securing said endportions of said pocket member to said wall member, said pocket memberhaving integral gussets at the opposite end of said front wall, saidgussets being disposed between said folded over end portions and theadjacent portions of said wall member.

10. In a wallet, billfold or the like, a compartment having a Wallmember, a sheet of material adhesively secured to said wall member andhaving a surface of heat-seala-ble material and folded over end portionsprovided with slits, respectively, a pocket member having a front walland end portions projecting through said slits for at tachment to saidwall member, said folded over end portions being heat'sealed to saidsheet of material with said pocket member end portions disposedtherebetween for securing the latter to said wall member, said pocketmember having integral gussets at the opposite ends of said front wall,said gussets being disposed between said folded over end portions andthe adjacent portions of said wall member.

11. In a Wallet, billfold or the like, a compartment having a wallmember having a surface of heat-seal-able material and having foldedover end portions provided with slits, respectively, a pocket memberhaving a front wall and end portions projecting through said slits forattachment of said pocket member to said wall member, and meansheat-sealed to said heat-scalable material for securing said folded overend portions in said folded over condition and thereby securing said endportions of said pocket member to said wall member, said pocket memberhaving integral gussets at the opposite ends of said front wall, saidgussets being disposed between said folded over end portions and theadjacent portions of said wall member.

12. In a wallet, billfold or the like, a compartment having a wallmember, a sheet of material adhesively secured to said wall member andhaving a surface of heatsealable material and folded ever end portionsprovided with slits, respectively, a pocket member having a front walland end portions projecting through said slits for attachment of saidpocket member to said wall member, said folded over end portions beingheat-sealed to said sheet of material with said pocket member endportions disposed therebetween for securing the latter to said wallmember, said pocket member having integral gussets at the opposite endsof said front wall, said gussets being disposed between said folded overend portions and the adjacent portions of said wall member, and a wallmember in overlapping laminated relation with said sheet of material andheatsealed to said heat-scalable surface thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,597,196 Heymann Aug. 24, 1926 2,444,366 Potter June 29, 1948 2,496,144Bauman Jan. 31, 1950

